Diamond Bus North West

[gilesbus1]

RE: Diamond Bus North West

(02/07/2019 23:37)Winston Wrote:  Yes, when they're up for renewal. But not gaining those two tenders with the Bolton op is no great shakes.

Not sure on date for Vantage, but it will be re-tendered, again Rotala may well bid as it's a decent chunk of work assuming the money is right.

Rotala will have some decent commercial services, plus the 571, 572 & 575 re-join under common ownership. There may also be opportunities to take on routes from First Oldham, should that depot ever be scaled back if no buyer is forthcoming. I also wondered at some point whether Jim Stones Leigh might sell out / retire. There seems plenty of scope to improve & integrate their various services from 11th Aug.

Jim Stones has been rumoured as maybe wanting to retire before, note that he is not renewing his fleet as often as he was, and also the fact that as a small individual operator he maybe someone who would struggle with Franchising so this opp is probably ripe for take-over, all an operator would really need to take on is the routes and the drivers as the buses are mainly on lease they could be returned by Jim himself and he probably could deal with the depot, if Rotala wanted to exploit this as an opportunity it would easily all fit into Atherton, and would expand Rotala's operating area to the South of Leigh and add Lowton to the map of area's served.